How to Use Vinegar as a Lice Treatment

If you have children, you'll probably have to deal with head lice at some point. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that between 6 million and 12 million children in the United States between the ages of 3 and 11 are infested with lice each year. Additionally, lice can be challenging to get rid of completely. Usually, several different products are needed. One such product is vinegar. Using vinegar as part of a lice treatment can make getting rid of your child's lice easier and more effective.

Things You'll Need

• Nit comb
• Over-the-counter lice treatment
• Hair clips
• Spray bottle
• Bowl

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Instructions

• 1

  Pour 1 cup of vinegar onto the louse-infested hair. Massage it in thoroughly until it is evenly spread throughout the hair. Leave the mixture in for 30 to 60 minutes.

• 2

  Wash the hair with shampoo. Do not use conditioner or a conditioning type of shampoo. You may need to wash the hair two or three times to get all of the vinegar out.

• 3

  Brush or comb out any tangles. Apply the over-the-counter lice treatment. Different treatments have different instructions so make sure to read the label carefully and follow the instructions exactly.

• 4

  Separate the hair into eight sections. The hair should be divided vertically down the middle. Each side should then be divided into four equal parts.

• 5

  Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of water. Put the mixture into the spray bottle.

• 6

  Mix soap and warm water in a medium-sized bowl. Set the bowl aside, but within reach.

• 7

  Spray one section of the hair with the vinegar mixture. Wait three minutes so the vinegar mixture has time to soak into the hair. The vinegar mixture aids in further loosening the louse eggs and preventing tangles.

• 8

  Comb the hair thoroughly using the nit comb. Double check the section of hair for remaining eggs or lice after you have combed it through. Spray the vinegar solution directly on any resistant eggs. Dip the nit comb in the warm, soapy water after each section.

• 9

  Repeat the process with each section until you have combed through the whole head. Shampoo the hair the same way you did before the treatment.

• 10

  Check the hair every day for two weeks to be sure the lice are gone. Repeat the process once more if lice are found.